<NOTE - I have tested both of these options, as well as the back door, with my Windows 8 laptop via Chrome and IE. The Java Interface is old, and so may be blocked unless your Java security is reduced to the minimum setting (medium). Follow the instructions here - http://www.java.com/en/download/help/jcp_security.xml - and set the Security Level to "Medium">

I encourage everyone to try both of these options! It will be good to have alternatives.

There also seems to be a "back door" at http://backpack.webmaster.com - Enter your TEAM-02 as the nickname, leave the password blank, and then change the room to #Mocksports. Hit "Connect" This is a much more basic interface, but should get the job done. TEST THIS LINK! PREPARE TO USE THIS IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE MOCKSPORTS PAGES!!!

Just a reminder, if you want the most effective method of connecting to the chat room, use your own IRC clientl

mIRC (a basic IRC program for Windows) is available at http://www.mirc.com, and is relatively easy to install and use.

Fortunately, the server we use for our auctions is now a part of the standard list of IRC servers available in mIRC!

When you do an installation, if you get a choice, do a "Full" rather than an "Upgrade".

Then, when the program fires up (you don't have to register, you may just have to wait a few seconds for the "continue" button to be ready), the mIRC Options box should open up. Put junk in the name and e-mail boxes (I use "ask" and "me.com"). Place your Nickname (TEAM-##) in the Nickname box and whatever sounds like a good but not common alternative.

Then, on the left side of the box, click on "Servers". Scroll down through the list that comes up, and double-click on "Webchat". "Random Server" should appear underneath "Webchat". Double-click on "Random Server" and you'll be taken back to the main Options. A little past half way down on the right side your server should be displayed, and it should say "Webchat: Random server". Then click the "Connect to server" button.

If Webchat doesn't show up on your list, you'll have to click "Add". In the window that pops up, enter "Mocksports" in description, "irc.webchat.org" as server, and "AAA_Mocksports" as group (that way it'll be at the top of the list. Note that whatever port is listed here needs to be what gets through your firewall, and can be changed to suit.

This should connect you to the server. If not, you'll probably have to open your firewall. This might be done a couple of different ways. Some firewalls are set by program (in this case, it would be wherever you installed mIRC - probably c:\program files\mirc - with the key program being mirc.exe). Others are set by port (in this case Port 7000).

If you connect, a "mIRC Favorites" box should appear. In the top line, you can enter the channel. In our case, that would be #Mocksports or #Mocksports_B (do remember the # in front!).

And that should be it!

mIRC is much more flexible - you can simply do a lot more than the java chat client. However, IRC servers are the original chat servers of the Internet (actually, I think they predate the Internet). So all of that bad stuff you hear about internet chat also started here. So if you have kiddies, you might want to either take steps to keep them from using it, or supervise their use._________________

I would add. Shane's instructions about MIRC sound complicated, but if you print them off and do the download, they are absolutely lucid. It should not take more than two minutes and MIRC is far more stable than the alternatives.